They say first-time impressions are the only ones that count. While this may or may not be true when it comes to meeting people, it certainly holds true when we talk web design. The way your homepage grabs visitors is where it really counts.

The homepage is your front door in the virtual space. If visitors do not like what they’re seeing, they’re going to navigate away from it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the “judging a book by its cover” adage really applies here.

Want your web page to look brilliant rather than blah? The examples listed below are not just beautiful, but full of smart design approaches.

While the design is fairly simple, the headline and sub-headline grabs you right away in a “no jargon” kind of way. Scan the homepage and you get a really nice, secure and easygoing vibe; important for a product which works with financial information.

The CTA (call to action) copy is simple and direct, compelling you to sign up. The design is quite innovative as well– see how the secured lock icon subconsciously lets you know you’re safe and secure, and in good hands.

Kobalt Music is a global community for individual musicians to showcase and sell their work. The musician life is all about beats and waves, and this is what they see on its homepage and can instantly relate in a flash of moment.

All the information about the technology, latest events, top releases and top 100 hits charts are displaying on homepage to provide musicians a great user experience.

Evernote has had many heads turning over the years and with good reason: a simple note-saving app that turned into a business products suite. While this may not be evident from their homepage, they still package key messages into benefits.

There’s a healthy combination of a rich but muted background theme, sporting a nice bright green against white highlights to put the spotlight on conversion paths. The user is greeted with a simple headline, which leads right to the CTA: “Sign up now”.

If you’re a fitness fanatic, then FitBit would almost always be your first choice. As fitness experts put it: “Get in, lift weights and move!” It's the same principle we see in the Fitbit’s home page. A user don’t need to wander around, all the information is presented in a simplistic and in-front design.

High quality photos of the latest devices, perfect placement of CTAs with vibrant colors, a clearly visible apps dashboard that encourages users to stay on the site and fulfill the complete sales journey.

The homepage design is simply beautiful. The use of white space, contrasting colors and a customer-centric design; one can’t say enough good things about them. The CTA is clear and compelling, as is the headline. The information hierarchy looks fantastic, which makes it highly readable and makes for understanding the page quickly.

Telerik’s a business offering various technology products, though you never get that “stuffy enterprise” feeling as you arrive at their landing page. You gotta love the Google-like vibe: fun designs, the bold colors and photography. What a great way to welcome people and let them know they’re dealing with real people.

The high-level overview boasts simplicity – a very clear and straightforward way of communicating what the company does and how people can benefit from their services. Take a look at the copy: it’s lightweight and reader-friendly; exactly what customers want, every time.

It’s no walk in the park building a website that’s meant to accommodate the needs of an entire nation. The homepage is constantly undergoing changes and revisions to reflect the US government’s top priorities and concerns.

An excellent homepage design demands extensive testing and optimization. The Whitehouse.gov site is far ahead of the curve, compared to other government websites. The clean design fosters an entire community. If you can’t find what you need, the “what are you looking for?” search box can get you there, fast.

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